Rotating paint mixers for the use with power drills are well known in the art. These devices generally include a shaft that is adapted to be attached to the driving end of the electric drill. The opposite end of the shaft includes an apparatus designed to be inserted into a can of paint or other liquid to mix the contents of the can.
One example of such a mixing device is disclosed in King et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,518 (“King”). King discloses a method of mixing viscous fluids using a rotating cage attached to a shaft. The cage includes a central disc located at the end of the shaft with a plurality of vanes extending above and below the outer edge of the disc. Other rotating fluid mixing devices are shown, for example, in U. S. Pat. Nos. 4,538,922, 4,893,941 and 5,251,979.
In general, existing mixing devices suffer from several drawbacks when used to mix paint, most notably inefficient mixing and possible clogging. For example, in the King device, as the device is rotated, suspended globules may jam in the vanes against the disc, thereby clogging the device. The bottom set of vanes may also seal against the bottom surface of the container, thereby preventing proper flow of liquid through the mixer.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have an improved mixing device that more efficiently mixes paint and other liquids, and that has a reduced likelihood of becoming clogged.